Game



Sept. 24, 1935. F. PHELAN 2,015,284

GAME

Filed May 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIIIIIIII V A INVENTOR.

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Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE GAME Francis L. Phelan, Cambridge, Mass. Application May 9, 1934, Serial No. 724,659

4 Claims.

My invention relates to games and more particularly to game boards permitting simulation of the game of baseball.

In accordance with my invention, the ball is '5 directed toward the batters box by a chute of such construction that it permits control of the speed and by pressing ball against side of chute or by spinning the ball by a player, a curve can be made, further in accordance with my invention the bat is controlled by another player for movement over a cut-out or equivalent, in the playing surface of the board.

Also in accordance with my invention, the playing surface is provided with cut-outs and. stops, provided with suitable legends, to intercept the ball when struck; preferably, a fence encloses the playing surface and two inclined troughs, or equivalent, are suitably disposed and constructed to permit the ball to go over the fence. My invention further resides in the features of construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter described and claimed. For an understanding of my invention and for illustration of a preferred form thereof reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. l is a plain view of the game board.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on reduced scale with parts omitted.

' Fig. 3 is a plan view, on enlarged scale of one of the stops of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of Figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, in section, of Figure 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view. on enlarged scal appearing in Figure 1.

Fig. '7 is a detail view on enlarged scale of the bat control device.

Fig. 7a. is an end sectional view of parts shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 8 is afragmentary view of the delivery end of the chute, on enlarged scale.

Fig. 9 in perspective and on enlarged scale illustrates a trough shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the playing surface or field i may be formed of cardboard, thin wood or the like of suitable size; for example, it may be about four feet long and all other dimensions in suitable proportion. The chute 2 is inclined downwardly to direct a ball placed thereon toward the .home plate 3 which is an opening cut-out of the playing surface. As shown, the chute terminates. at the pitcher's box 4 so that the ball must. roll a substantial distance after leaving the chute.

Preferably, asshownin Figure 6, the sides of the chute are rolled or convex and below the center of the marble B or equivalent. The player by pressing the ball against one side or the other of the chute can make it spin so that when it leaves the chute and travels along the playing surface toward the batters box it will curve in one direction or the other depending upon the direction of the spin. The player controlling the bat, later described, finds it difiicult to know whether or not the ball will curve and if so in what direction. On the other hand, the pitcher may impart so much spin to the marble that it falls in one of the stolen base cut-outs 2i, and advance a runner on base.

The bat 5 which is pivotally mounted to one side of the home plate to swing over it when manually released by clockwise rotation, (as viewed in Figure '7) of the stop arm 6 at the inner end of a rod 1 whose outer end projecting through the end of the game is provided with a knob 8, or equivalent. The movement of the bat is effected by member 8a which may be a spring, a rubber band, or the like; Rod 1 is of such length that the bat when restrained is to the rear of the cut-out 3.

To set the bat, the "batter swings the bat to the position shown in Figure 1 thus tensioning the elastic or spring which is connected from a suitable point under the playing surface to the arm 5a. extending from the vertical shaft 517 to 30 which the bat is secured. The batter then rotates knob 8 to turn the stop arm 6 from the dotted line position of Fig. '7 to the full line position of Figure '7 to restrain the bat in the position of Figure 1.

The object of the player controlling knob 8- is to release the bat at the proper'time to strike a ball arriving fromchute 2 and to propel it toward one ofthe stops, later described, bearing a favorable legend. The bat is released by 40 turning knob 8 to move the stop 6 to the dotted line position (Fig. '7) whereupon the spring 811 swings the bat in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 about the axis of shaft 517. If the batter fails to release the bat or releases it 45 too late, the marble can drop in the opening 3 for a strike without obstruction by the bat. If the release is timed so that the bat strikes the ball in front of the cut-out}, the path of the ball is dependent upon the speed and spin of-the 50 marble as well as the time of release of the bat. 'll'hus the players match wits and skill on every p ay."'

All of the stops 9 are similar in construction and are preferably made as clearly illustrated in 66 Figures 3 to 5. A piece of thin metal 9, or other suitable material is bent to form a pocket, whose mouth I is presented toward the batters position, and which has an inclined back I l for directing the ball, which may be a marble of suitable size, into an opening I! in the playing surface within the confines of the stop.

The stops may be secured by the tabs is which pass through the top of the game and are glued or otherwise held to the underside of the playing surface. Figures 14 representing baseball players may project above the stops.

Preferably, the mouths of the "put-ou stops for the out-fielders are slightly greater in width than the mouths of the infield stops; for example, the out-field stops may be 2% inches wide at the mouth and the in-field stops 2 inches wide.

The stops ll may be similar to the put-out stops described except that no figure l4 accompanies them. Stops l 5 are provided with suitable legend indicative of the value of the play when the ball is received thereby; suitable abbreviation of well known plays appear in Figure 1.

All of the stops 9 and ii are disposed so that the mouth of each of them extends substantially normal to a radius drawn from the batters box, and are so disposed angularly with respect to each other that they are staggered as viewed from the batter's position.

The pitchers put-out P is formed by a cut-out at the delivery end of chute 2. The ball leaving the chute ordinarily has sufllcient momentum to Jump the gap. If it does not, suitable penalty may be imposed on the team in the field. (Such as a balk on the pitcher).

The two foul out" stops l6 each comprises av cut-out l1 and a block or fence piece It bordering the edge remote from the batter's box. The Foul ball" stops it each comprises a cut-out or slot 20 and a fence or guide 2i extending toward the front of the game. The fences II and 2| are preferably at right angles to the foul line 22. The slots l6 and 20 are so staggered that any ball knocked to the rear of the foul line must go into one or the other of them.

The board is tipped as shown in Figure 2 so that the ball must always go to the rear of the game.

Stolen bases 21 are cut-outs in the surface of Game in the rear of home plate as shown in Figure 1.

The playing surface is bounded by a fence 23 confining the ball to the playing surface except when the ball is received by one of the inclined troughs 24, shown most clearly in Figure 9,which guide the ball over the fence, which counts for a home run". As shown in Fig. 1, these troughs 24 extend substantially radially of the home" cut-out I, so that if the marble when struck travels in proper direction to meet the lower end of the trough it rides up over the fence 2! for a "home run".

The playing surface may be the top of a box in which event, the balls falling through the stopopenings will travel to the rear of the box which may be provided with an opening in either corner facilitating removal.

As shown in Figure 1 the score cards 25 may be marked on an unused part of the playing surface and the score kept by sticking pins in the rectangle 28 under the usual headings. Practically every play and situation possible in actual base ball is possible with the game disclosed and the same rules as in actual base ball may be followed.

Rules for game Pitching.The ball must not be pushed or thrown down chute. with a little practice it is possible to make the ball curve either way, a fastor slow ball is possible.

Batting.Pull bat back and turn knob to left to hold bat in place. To release bat turn knob to right.

Base hits.-The number of bases to take on each hit are marked on the back of stops placed on the field.

One base hit.Batter goes to first, base runners advance one base.

Lona single-Batter goes to first, base runners advance two bases.

Two base hit-Batter goes to second, base runners advance two bases.

Three base hit-Batter goes to third, all base runners score. Home run.-If ball goes up chute (marked home run) and goes over the fence batter-and all base runners score.

Sacrifice Jim-Batter is out, base runners advance one base. Double play.Batter is out, the base runner named on the back of stop is also out. If no one is on base only one is out.

Errors.-If ball hits stop in front of any man and stops on the field all runners advance one 30 base, batter goes to first. If ball goes in hole after it hit a fielder the final hole counts.

Data-If ball goes in hole in front of any fielder batter is out. If the ball stops on the field the batter is out (considered as a fly out to the nearest fielder). Foul outs are marked on the field.

Stolen bases-Men on first and second advance one base (if bases are full) or if man is on third they do not advance. 0

Important.If ball goes off chute while pitching it is a ball. If it goes in hole for catcher it is a strike.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment it is to be understood my invention is not 5 limited thereto but is coextensive in scope with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A ball game comprising a batters box, a bat pivotally mounted at said box, means for manually'controlling said bat, a stationary chute for delivering a ball to said box having convex ballengaging sides and a bottom, the space between said sides being large enough that the ball may engage the bottom and a single side in rolling down said chute, and a plurality of stops, at different distances from and at different angles to said batter's box, each having an opening to receive said ball, said stops comprising substantially the only ball obstructions on the playing field and having various reward and penalty values.

2. A ball game comprising a member providing a playing surface, and a chute inclined toward said surface to deliver a ball thereto and having a shallow groove, with a fiat bottom and low convex sides adapted to engage the ball substantially below the center thereof, said sides being so spaced that the ball may at any given instant engage only one of them and the bottom of said groove. 1

3. In a ball game having a playing surface with a "home cut-out opening a stationary chute inclined toward said "home opening and hav- 8 N 11 h 118881118 sides for imparting spin to the'ball, and a stolen-base" cut-out opening to one side of the home" opening to receive the ball it it has excessive spin. v

4. In-a ball game, having a playing surface, a

5 stationary'chute inclined.- toward said surface and having its delivery end abovev said surface, a

manually controlledbat pivotally supported to swing in a path intercepting the path of a ball from said chute, and an opening in said surface adjacent the delivery end of said chute normally jumped by the ball in leaving the delivery end of said chute and to receive the ball if driven by said 6 battow'ard the delivery end of said chute.

v a FRANCIS L. PHELAN. 

